The Hard Eight
by Tsuveras
Summary: What would happen if Boomer never shot Adama? What if she was pregnant with the chief's child? How would things turn out? Sometimes your destiny can change for the better. Sometimes you gotta roll the hard six, but other times, you gotta roll the hard eight.
1. Chapter 1

_~Uncertainty~_

Doctor Cottle was going at a fast pace. He was headed towards the CIC, he had to speak with Commander Adama. The sound of his steps clicked against the metal flooring, barely echoing as the halls were crowded. He picked up his pace, wondering if he had heard the nurse right, that Adama had sent Boomer out on this mission to destroy the Cylon Basestar. It was practically a suicide mission.

He made it to the door and barely even had to flash his identification to get in. They all knew he was 'the doctor' on the Galactica. Once he entered, he was greeted with half smiles, but people were mostly worried over the current mission, .

"Commander Adama, I need to speak with you," he spoke up as soon as he got close enough. Adama looked up at him before looking back up at the dradis for a second. He looked to Colonel Tigh with a look that said he had the deck for a moment. He stepped off of the Command and Control Center and went towards Doc Cottle and waited for the doctor to speak.

"I didn't get the chance to tell Lieutenant Valerii some very important news and by the time I got back, she was gone," the doctor began. Adama nodded.

"Yes, I sent her on this mission. I needed a pilot," Adama explained, he figured the doctor was shocked to find his patient gone. However, he realized that there was a look of fear in the doctor's eyes. Adama couldn't help but wonder if perhaps something was seriously wrong with the lieutenant.

"If and when she gets back, I need to speak with her right away." Adama nodded to the doctor.

"Is something wrong with her?" The commander questioned. The doctor wore a thin-lined frown on his face.

"She's pregnant," Cottle said and Adama found his expression becoming grim too.

"She'll make it back. She's a good pilot. She knows what she's doing," Adama hoped aloud before he turned around and headed back to the deck.

_~Dread~_

She felt dead inside. Everything was over. She was over. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but instead, she stared forward with glazed over eyes. She couldn't help but wonder if she was evil. If she was wretched.

She couldn't help but hope, but even that was only wishful thinking. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't a Cylon. Maybe, somehow, they had stolen a blood sample from her and cloned Cylons to look just like her. She shook her head.

Deep down, she knew. She knew she was a Cylon. She'd known it all along, but how could she stop it from doing what it wanted? She long acknowledged she was a different consciousness than it. How could she fight something that just made her blackout so it could do it's bidding?

It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. She was the enemy. She was her own enemy. She hated herself.

She had memories. Memories of her family on Troy. Memories of her family dying.

How could that be possible if she was a Cylon?

She had to assume now that her whole life was a lie. She was a lie.

She wished she would have succeeded in killing herself. She had tried so hard, but last minute, she had slid the gun to blow out of her cheek. She didn't mean to. She wanted to die, but something in her wouldn't let her. Now she knew, she knew why she couldn't. The Cylons had plans for her, a destiny they had said.

She wanted no part of it. She didn't even want to be a Cylon. She wanted to find Galen and make him hold her while she wept, but now, even he hated her. He would hate her even more now.

Her E.C.O, Racetrack was hollering with joy, but she began to realize how quiet Sharon was.

"You okay Boomer?" Racetrack asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna send word to Galactica now," Sharon spoke solemnly as she checked to make sure that Racetrack had put her onto Galactica's scrambled channel. Her heart, or what she thought was her heart, thumped wildly against her ribcage.

"Boomer to Galactica, I repeat, Boomer to Galactica," She began through the ship's wireless.

"Boomer, this is Galactica Actual, how does your mission read?" It was Petty Officer Dualla's voice on the line, you could tell even if it was distorted.

"Misson... Accomplished," Boomer let out and she could hear everyone cheering in the background.

"Galactica Actual to Boomer, you are clear for a jump back and go ahead with the landing," And with that, Sharon took to jumping back to Galactica and she landed, as always, with a thump against the platform.

It was as she was getting out that she felt dizzy.

'Kill.' She could swear she heard it coming from all around her, no, she could feel it.

'Kill him.' She felt like her eyes were glazing over. She was walking down the corridor to the Combat Information Center.

She felt a knot forming in her stomach. She hadn't even realized that she'd unlatched her gun and held it in her hand. Her hands went behind her back, looking as though she was walking casually.

"Whoop! Boomer, you did it!" People were cheering and calling her name, and calling Racetrack's name too, in victory. Sharon shook her head, she could barely hear them. Her head felt fuzzy.

'Kill Adama, kill him.' She felt like she'd be sick, the impulse was taking her over even though she was trying desperately to fight it. She felt like she was losing control. She wanted to shake her head, she wanted to stop dead in her tracks, but she couldn't.

She made it into C.I.C, Adama shook hands with Racetrack. Adama was coming towards her, extending his hand. She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

'Kill him!' She felt like she'd throw up.

Adama stood there, his hand extended, a smile on his face as he gazed at her with happiness.

'Kill him! Now!' Her orders were as simple as ever it would seem. Pull the gun on the commander, shoot him in the head, and end his life.

She loved Adama like a father. She loved Galactica like a home.

Her arm was moving, moving on its own accord. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She felt herself starting to blank out.

"Not this time!" She let out, it was more said to herself than anyone else. People looked at her as she fought with herself. People were whispering. She wished someone would notice the gun she held behind her back. Maybe then, someone would tackle her or something, anything.

She wasn't going to let it take over again. She refused to give this thing inside of her the last of her dignity. If she did this, she would lose everything she loved, she would say goodbye to any dreams she had. Her hopes would be crushed. She couldn't betray the people she cared for.

She fought for control with every fiber of her being. Tears were squeezing out of her eyes at this point. When she opened them, she could see the confusion in Adama's eyes.

'Kill Adama now!' The voice in her head commanded once more.

"Nooo!" Her scream was loud, violent. Her arm had gone up, she was pulling the trigger, but at the same time, she buckled her knees. It took all of her strength, all of her will to knock herself over.

"Stop me, stop me, I don't want to do it!" She sobbed as she heard her gun fire off. People were shouting, the room became chaos.

"Help me," Sharon whispered as she felt herself getting back up, ready to accomplish her mission this time. She didn't want it. She couldn't let it happen. Blackness crept up in the corners of her vision and she knew that it was going to take over soon, take over completely. It would take away her senses and use her body as it pleased. She felt terrified at this notion.

"Reprimand her!" Adama had called and like that, she'd been disarmed. Her arms were being pulled behind her back. She tried to cooperate, really, but she screamed as she struggled against her consciousness's will. She didn't want to struggle, but she now knew exactly what it was. Her orders, her Cylon orders. She would fight it to the end.

"Quick, take her to the brig." Adama had spoken so casually, as if an attempt on his life hadn't just been made. Perhaps he was a little in shock. It had been so quick and confusing.

Adama watched them take her away. Tears were streaming down her face, she repeated, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," over and over again. Adama felt like his insides were melting at the sudden realization. Boomer was a cylon… No, she **IS** a cylon.

On the outside, he seemed cool and collected, which ought to be how a commander would react. However, inside, he was screaming. Fury ran through his blood, but the anger was tainted by confusion and a sad depth of betrayal.

_~Suicidal~_

She didn't know how long she had been there. Minutes maybe, hours possibly. She couldn't be sure. Once getting to the brig, she'd been sedated due to her incessant struggling. She still felt groggy, the sedative hadn't completely worn off yet. She couldn't move, not easily anyways.

She heard the door to the brig being opened and she struggled to see who was coming in, but she couldn't make her body turn over, she could barely move, but she could feel the sedative slowly wearing off. She felt a little afraid, what would they do to her now? She could barely move, it would be easy for them to take free shots at her..

"Sharon." It was Adama's voice. Her name was said in a very monotone manner and her heart picked up with hope at that. It was better than the venomous anger she had expected.

"That thing is a toaster, Commander, not Sharon." Colonel Tigh's musings destroyed any shred of hope she had been holding onto. It broke her into a million tiny pieces. She was a toaster, she was a thing. She wasn't even a human. She never was.

"Please, leave us, for now, Colonel, and you." Adama's voice had sounded.

"But—" the Colonel began, but he didn't go on. Sharon assumed that Adama must have given him some sort of look. Footsteps echoed.

"Yes, sir." She heard before more footsteps echoed. She heard the cell door slide shut and she wished she could throw up. Bile collected in her throat. What would they do with her now? Adama could sound unaffected by all of this in his voice, but it didn't really mean he felt that way.

She felt a weight set down beside her on the bed.

"Sharon, are you okay?" His voice was calm and light, almost fake. Maybe it was a fake tone of familiarity. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but only a noise of desperation escaped.

"I know you're still heavily sedated, you have to understand that we must take precautions. I know you have to be scared..." He trailed off for a moment, if she could see his face, she would have seen the seriousness to it.

"Kill me," Sharon whispered out, much too quietly.

"What?" Adama questioned as he leaned in to hear her better.

"Kill me before I hurt someone." Sharon had barely found her voice, but Adama was close enough to hear her this time. He shook his head, unknown to her.

"You proved to me today something strange about the Cylons. You went against what you were supposed to do, you were supposed to kill me, right?" Adama asked. He heard her let out a small sob.

"I think so, yes," Sharon spoke quietly. Adama looked down with a grim look on his face.

"I watched you struggle Sharon. I heard you beg us to stop you, to help you. So I need you to tell me now, Sharon, do you know anything about the Cylons? I need you to tell us everything." Adama admitted. He looked at her, he was so angry! He was so confused... It was Sharon, of all the God-forsaken people and he had watched her fight so hard with herself. He wanted to hate her, but every time he felt the need to strike her for being the wretched Cylon she is... He looked at her and saw the face of a fresh new pilot who wanted to prove herself. He saw the girl who almost always came in a little too hot, she was always landing a little too hard and she was just this little lost girl who was doing her best to start anew here. Was Galactica ever really the family she had wanted? She had once told him that Galactica was her home, that the crew was her family. Was that even true?

Then when he would think about maybe, somehow, letting this all go, he would relive the 'moment'. Her face had become so serious, yet a complicit smile had grown on her lips. It was so unlike any expression he had ever seen on her. It made the hairs on his arms stand up and a trickle of unease crawled chillingly up his spine. It was similar to Doral's face before he blew himself up. It was similar to Leoben's face when he was sure they were good and alone, once the Cylon had been sure he had the upper hand, even if his mind was melting so to speak.

The Commander realized it might have been a bad idea to send the Colonel out, after all, he was feeling a little unsure of himself. He decided that he would need to rethink things. He didn't know exactly what he should do and he was maybe a little too biased towards the situation.

When she had come into the C.I.C, he had looked up and felt relief. Doctor Cottle said that she was pregnant. Pregnant!

Even if she was a lieutenant, they did need the population to rise. He had been planning on sitting her down and laying out her options. He had been inclined to strongly suggest that she take a new position until after she had her child to assure that it wouldn't die with her on a mission.

Then everything had happened. His plans had been blown out of the water. She was a Cylon... And pregnant. How was that even possible? They knew that the Cylons looked like them, but being able to breed with humans, that was something else.

"I... I don't know anything." he had almost forgotten that he had questioned her on what she'd known about the enemy, he had almost lost himself to his thoughts. His eyes narrowed, unsure of what to believe from her, how true anything she would say could be. He continued to listen to her shaky voice.

"They made me believe I was a human. I can't be..." Her voice trailed off, she was holding her breathe, probably avoiding the sound of a cry that tried to leap out of her throat.

"A Cylon," Adama said it with undeniable anger. He listened to the sobs finally leave her lips. He didn't relish in it like he thought he would. Again, she was just that stupid little girl, smiling so brightly when she'd gotten to become a pilot, when she'd been assigned her own raptor. She loved it, unlike how he had reacted when he was assigned a raptor so many years ago. All he wanted to do was to be a viper pilot, but she'd been so happy. So ecstatic. Now she was crying, probably wondering when she'd be thrown out the air-lock. The Cylons were starting to really hit home, somewhere close, where it hurt.

It made him realize that the only person he knew wasn't a Cylon for a fact... Was Lee. Obviously, Lee was his son, so he was the only one erased of any suspicion.

"Once the sedative wears off a little, I'll be back to question you. You have to give us something or we'll be forced to torture it out of you." Sharon said nothing to that. She kept quiet, unsure of what to make of all of this.

"If you still don't give us any information, then we'll have to send you out of an airlock," Adama explained truthfully as he stopped and started towards the door. The guards had come back and he was ready to leave her to compose herself and wait for them to return.

"Commander..." Sharon let out before he left completely. Adama turned to look at her, she had turned slightly, slowly, to look into his eyes. The sedative had finally worn off enough that she could move, even if only a little.

With her gazing at him, a look of familiarity on her face, his own face hardened. He glared at her through intimidating eyes and his lips pressed downwards. Any sense of camaraderie she had dropped. A look of shame overcame her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She looked pitiful. Her hair was a mussed mess and tears streamed down her face.

"Just think of something you can give us, any information will do," Adama stated in a harsh tone as he was getting ready to leave again.

"Wait, commander, one more thing." She whispered, he'd almost not heard it, he wanted to keep going, but there was a tone to her voice that made her sound very serious. He stopped once more, but this time, he didn't look at her.

"Yes?" He questioned, his body was tense, he had no idea what to do with a pregnant Cylon or who to ask for council on this. He didn't trust Baltar anymore, already, it was that damned scientist's fault that they were in this mess.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Sharon finally questioned. He wondered if he should even answer her. If he did, should he tell her what happened or just give her a straight answer?

"No," Adama spoke before he gave the hand signal for the guards to let him out. She didn't stop him again, instead, she faced back towards the wall and she tried to readjust her hands that were cuffed behind her back so she could maybe be somehow more comfortable in her position.

_~Doubt~_

"Did you hear about Valerii? She's a toaster!" Someone let out.

"I bet that frakking Chief is too, he should be put in the brig with her!" Another person let out.

"Shut up! You know Chief, I know Chief, he is NOT a Cylon!" Cally hissed out. There must have been some new knuckle-draggers, because she didn't recognize any of them. However, all this talk about Sharon being a Cylon made her uneasy. Not because she cared about the bitch, but because she cared about The Chief. Everyone was ready to put the chief petty officer in the same boat as the toaster.

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" Tyrol had caught sight of the argument as he'd walked through a connecting hallway. A lot of people stared him down, it made him feel uneasy.

"You Cylon filth!" One person screamed. More derogatory terms were thrown at him, like 'Cylon frakker' and 'Toaster piece of shit'.

At first, he didn't take much heed to the insults and instead tried to pull Cally back a bit because she was 'this' close to letting her fists fly free.

"You guys have lost your god's damned minds! As soon as we start pointing fingers at each other, that bitch gets what she wants!" Cally yelled at the others as she pulled out of Galen's hold. One guy took quick steps to get close to her.

"Think about it, who told the toaster about the hatch-combing? Who told it lots of intimate details of the dents and cracks in Galactica so he could have secret get-togethers with it? Even if he's not a Cylon, he's been helping it the whole time!" He stated. Cally looked at the Chief, desperation in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, I had no frakking idea that she was a toaster, what do you want me to do? I was just as clueless as everyone else." Galen began. It was a little unfair. She knew about the hatch combing, it was no secret to her before all of this. How did he have anything to do with that?

But then he felt guilty. He knew something was happening to her and she told him not to report it... He should have reported it.

He was about to deny the allegations some more, he didn't really know what he would say, but, he wasn't going to sit here and let them spread further rumors.

"Okay, okay, but, can Cylons really bleed?" Another asked as he came forward from where he'd been leaning against a wall. Galen stared at him uneasily, he was one of those really built up guys and on top of that, he hadn't spoken this entire time. He may have not been much of a talker.

Galen held up his hands to try and calm the situation down, surrendering in a way he supposed. He didn't want to fight anyone. The guy didn't care, just came up and socked him in the face. It was quick, lightning fast and Galen almost didn't expect it. The asshole got him good too.

"What the frak!?" Cally had let out as Galen bent forward a bit. He held his nose for a second as he grimaced from the pain. As he straightened up, he took away his hand and didn't bother looking at the blood that lingered.

He had realized that Cally had jumped on the guy's back and held an arm around his neck, trying to make him pass out. Galen wiped the blood dripping onto his lips as he took a step forward.

"Now look, let's not fight, they still haven't taken me in for questioning, so that's a good sign, alright everyone? Damn." Galen was frustrated, really. Cally loosened her hold slowly, until she released completely and landed back on her feet. She was pissed, the guy she'd been attacking was pissed too, there was no way he was letting her get away with that. Cally thought that the fight was over, so she was shocked when the new guy turned quickly and grabbed her shoulder. He punched her straight in the solar plexus, twice, as hard as he could.

Galen felt anger rip through him, that was uncalled for. When he heard Cally groan in pain, followed by a few coughs, he clenched his fists tightly and held them up as he took another step forward. Cally staggered back a few steps before dropping to her knees, holding her stomach, the wind knocked out of her.

"So this frakking Cylon thinks he's gonna get a fair trial and everything too?" The crazed man questioned before laughing. His two friends laughed with him.

Galen realized this more silent type of guy was actually the leader of their little group.

"You'll get a trial." The guy stated as he pulled out his gun. Galen widened his eyes as he looked to Cally and then back to the guy. Where did he even get a gun?

He had three, maybe four options and none of them had good outcomes. He could try and disarm the guy, but he was kind of far from him now to do that. He could try to run, but Cally was here too, which complicated things. He could try to grab Cally and get out of here, but they wouldn't have enough time if the guy did pull the trigger. His last option was that he could stand here and take the bullet.

"Your crazy! You do this and you'll be in a lot of trouble," Tyrol said. The guy snickered.

"Grab him." He stated his two 'lackeys' grabbed him on either side. There went three of his options.

"You really think I'll get in that much trouble for killing a Cylon? I'll be a hero!" The guy snarled.

Galen swallowed. He didn't really want to die. All this over some girl... Some girl that decided she had to make him fall in love with her. That smile, her jokes, her laugh... Her hopes and her dreams had all seemed very real to him. Then it turned out that she's a Cylon. It made no sense. Why did she even bother with him? She didn't really get anything out of him that she couldn't have gotten herself. Was it all some sort of sick and twisted cylon game?

"Don't hurt Cally, if you do this. She has nothing to do with anything. She's just a hard working girl trying to go to dentistry school," he finally stated, being completely honest. Cally got caught up in this horrible new world and he thought about it all the time. A grim frown formed on his face. The guy laughed at what the Chief had said before he looked to be thinking for a moment, taking his words into consideration.

"Charming, a Cylon that cares about people." He finally said.

"Don't harm her." Galen reiterated. The guy nodded, deciding to grant him this one thing.

"Don;t worry, I know she's not a Cylon, shes too weak." He snickered at her crouched over form.

"Frak you!" She let out loudly, muffled by her angrily pressed lips.

"Any other last words, Chief Tyrol?" He said his name and rank sarcastically, it made Galen feel sick.

"Just get it over with already," Galen muttered as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to wait anymore. He couldn't get away, he couldn't leave Cally with them even if he could run.

"No, Chief..!" Cally tried to yell out her disagreement, but she burst into coughs again and brought her arms over her stomach. She didn't think it would turn out this way. She had been sure Galen would figure someway to get out of this. Obviously, he hadn't come up with much except for pleading for her life. She would do the same.

"Let him go! This is crazy! Who the frak do you guys think you frakking are!?" She pleaded for his life and insulted them all in one go.

"What's going on in here!?" A very commanding sort of voice let out, startling the men and even Cally, but Galen felt a surge of hope go through him. Now hopefully, whoever was coming, didn't detest him to such a degree as these men. Coming from down the hallway and rounding the corner, was Captain Apollo, he was in his usual uniform. His expression dimmed as he took in the situation.

"Well, uh..." Galen had opened his eyes to watch his would-be killer stammering.

"Uh? That's all you have to say for yourself?" The Captain questioned angrily.

'Well, to me, it looks like your about to open fire on a superior," Lee spoke with a burning fire in his voice, he looked over at Cally. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man who was pointing his gun at the Chief. Lee didn't recognize any of them, even though they wore the uniforms of enlisted personnel, either way, this guy most definitely should not have a gun.

"Unload your gun and drop it or I'll shoot you," Lee stated threateningly. The guy who still held his gun up at Galen swallowed hard before he cocked his gun and was about to finish his execution.

A loud bang sounded off, a small cloud of smoke wafted through the air.

"Un-hand the Petty Chief Officer or I'll shoot you as well." Lee turned his gun to the two men holding the wide-eyed Galen in their hold. He was shocked that he wasn't dead. For a moment, Galen had thought he died, yet here he stood. One of the guys holding Galen released immediately, but the other stared at the body of their fallen friend first. The Captain had put a bullet hole right between the eyes. He let go and raised his hands upwards as he backed up.

Lee came forward and picked up the other gun. He put his own in his holster and held the newly obtained one up at the two men.

"Check on Cally," Lee ordered Tyrol and the man in question didn't need further suggestions to snap out of his shock and do it. He rushed to Cally's side.

"Hey, are you okay?" He whispered it quietly, scared that if he spoke too loudly, it might somehow harm her more. She nodded slowly as she stuck out a hand for him to help her up. Galen stood up fully before he took her hand and pulled her up. They looked at Lee.

"Now Cally, I want you to get to the nearest wireless and tell C.I.C. what's going on down here." Lee stated. Cally nodded and took off, leaving the four alive men there and one dead.

"Thanks, Captain," Galen began to say, but Lee shook his head.

"Don't thank me just yet, I came here to take you in for questioning, your not clear of charges just yet," Apollo replied, he didn't want Galen thinking that everything was going to be alright now.

Lee always had a high confidence and a strong respect for Tyrol. He really doubted that the Chief knew about Sharon. He didn't want it on his conscious if his father disagreed.

_~Fake~_

"Alright, so you believe that you're the one who blasted the water tanks, but your not sure as you can't recall it?" Colonel Tigh said it in as demeaning a voice as he could. Sharon looked down, she placed her chained hands to her head.

"Yes, I found a detonator in my pack, with my normal clothes and I was suited up, completely wet from head to toe," Sharon explained.

"Well." Tigh began as he slammed his hand against the table in an effort to scare her.

"That seems awfully coincidental to me that you can't '_remember'_ doing it." Tigh went on. Sharon whimpered with guilt and she felt tears drip down her face.

"Did you leave the hatch combing on Causeway C open on purpose too?" The Colonel questioned further. Sharon shook her head as she let out a sob.

"I don't know, okay!? I wish I had more answers for you, but I don't!" Sharon let out with frustration. Tigh shook his head, disgust had reached his face and he raised his hand. Sharon grimaced as she waited for his fist to meet with her face, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see Adama holding Tigh's hand in place.

"That's enough for now, Colonel." Adama dismissed him and Tigh muttered to himself angrily as he left. Adama sat in the seat across from Sharon.

"Tell me about your past, your childhood, Sharon." Adama began and Sharon shook her head. She looked like she'd turn into a heaping pile of sobs any moment now.

"Its... it's all a lie, it has to be. I loved my family. You know I loved them." Her eyes dimmed as she held her breath.

"What if they never even existed?" Sharon felt her heart ache at that. She felt her heart shatter at the thought that she had prayed many times for the souls of those that didn't even exist.

"You really do believe you had family in Troy that died from the accident?" Adama questioned. Sharon nodded.

"Anything else Sharon? Anything at all?" Adama questioned.

"I... In the Cylon Basestar... They were all me. Me! How could it? I thought maybe somehow they copied my genetics, but that's not it, is it?" Sharon asked more herself than anyone. Adama blinked slowly as he thought.

"Is that where they told you to kill me?" Adama questioned. Sharon shook her head.

"They told me I had a destiny, that they loved me... I hate them!" Sharon admitted and Adama gave her a pitiful glance.

"And Chief Tyrol, does he have anything to do with this? Is he also a Cylon?" Adama questioned. Sharon shook her head.

"No, he's not. I... I love the chief, he has nothing to do with any of this, please..." Sharon feared for him. She didn't want them to hurt him.

"Well, we will have to question him ourselves, but we will be having him stay in this cell with you," Adama informed her. Sharon looked confused at this bit of information.

"You're having him..?" She didn't finish her question, she didn't need to, the Commander had nodded, however, there was anything but sympathy in his eyes. She wondered what would come of this.

_~A Plan~_

"So, Chief Petty Officer, Galen Tyrol, did you know that Lieutenant Sharon Valerii was a Cylon?" Lee had asked as he dawdled with his thumbs. He didn't know why his father thought he would be good for this. It was awkward, to say the least. He had a plan to adhere too, so he had to be sure that the Chief would be in on it too. The idea was very risky and it may be a bit too much for the Chief to handle. Galen closed his eyes for a second as he held back a grimace.

"No, I mean, I should have, right? I was frakking a frakking toaster!" Rage boiled his blood. Sharon would be the end of him. She would ruin him, his career, everything he'd worked so hard for.

"Did you ever suspect that she might be-." Lee began, but the Chief cut him off with his answer.

"I mean, there were times when things just didn't seem to add up. The water tanks, the explosive in her raptor, the hatch combing on c-deck. I didn't think much of it at the time, I thought she was being framed. I should have seen through it though." Galen admitted. He didn't want to do this anymore. He didn't want to be seen as a Cylon sympathizer, even though, most likely, everyone already viewed him as such. Lee stared at him for a second.

"Did you love her?" Lee asked finally. Galen looked like a deer caught in the headlights, his skin had paled.

"I mean, how could anyone love a toaster?" Galen asked. Lee didn't flinch.

"I don't know, Sharon was my friend. She was a good pilot. I never thought she was a Cylon." Lee spoke seriously. The chief stared at Lee before his eyes dropped to the surface of the table.

"What do you think?" Galen asked with an upset to his voice, it barely sounded like him, Galen didn't see any reason that this should be a question. He felt like his emotions were being pulled out and assembled into some sort of target that everyone was taking shots at.

"There's something you should know," Lee told him and Galen looked up at him. His eyes were seemingly empty, void of all emotion except for a depth of sadness.

"She's pregnant. Doctor Cottle confirmed it just before she left on that mission." Lee informed him. Galen's face was empty. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what this would mean for him... He didn't know what it would mean for her.

"The Commander has spoken to the Colonel and I. We have devised a sort of long term torture-reward questioning process. We need to find out as much as we can and Baltar is out. It will only work if you will cooperate." Lee dived right in, he didn't waver as he spoke.

"If you decide to cooperate, we will give you full amnesty for any dealings you made with her and be free of any charges," Lee stated. Galen sat there, taking it all in. He stared at Lee for a second.

"What do you want me to do?" He questioned.

_~The Hard Eight~_

_A/N: Alright, so I recieved a review via message and I won't name names in case maybe they didn't want their name said, I dunno. Anyways, it was a wonderful review, I really liked it. I definitely agreed with a lot of it, so I've went back to try and put people in their place, that is, more in-character. This is my first BSG fic ever, after my first watch-through ever. _

_**Why I'm writing this fic:**_ _Early on, I think within the mini-series, I decided Boomer was my favorite character and I was sticking to it. Let me tell you, woe is me for this decision. Anyways, I really wanted to give Boomer a happy ending somehow, that's the goal of this fic, to make her life at least a little more better than in the show. _

_I'm doing my best to write this, I am not perfect on the slang, I have not read any other BSG fics except a few short stories about Gaius and Caprica. I tried to find a story about Sharon and Galen and came up empty-handed with the kind of story I was looking for. That is another reason I have chosen to write this. _

_I also wanted to write something before diving into other BSG fics as a way to experiment with how what you read affects your writing. So I think writing about it with only the main source in mind will differ from when I eventually read other fics and write. I don't know if it'll be for better or worse, but I planned to do this for my next fandom obsession. I was already deeply invested in the fanfics of my other fandom and only wrote after I consumed a mass amount of content and decided that I needed to hit the keyboard, because all the stories really inspired me. However, BSG itself has inspired me deeply, so I decided to do it this way._

_**Review Replies:**_

_I decided to just go ahead and reply to reviews. I want to go over chapter two and really flesh that out better and then I will do chapter three and so on. I'm going to try and not have to update already posted chapters, and make sure each chapter is really good and ready from now on. Anyways, Review Replies,_

**To Talawolfgirl: **Thank you for supporting me with many of my stories and reading a lot of the things I've written. It really means a lot to me. C:

**To Don-Jam:** I was also surprised that there wasn't a lot more Galen/Sharon related stuff or just Sharon change of life fics. That's what I really wanted to read after finishing the show. Thank you for the compliment on of the start, I hope this start is even better.

**To Redwing1co:** Thank you so very much and I hope that it seems even better now. I will be trying to get the next chapter updated and then post chapter three as soon as I possibly can. C:


	2. Chapter 2

_~A New Beginning~_

Sharon sat in her seat in the brig. Her eyes were downcast and her chest heaved with her breath. She felt so alone. She let her eyes drift shut as her breathing steadied. She was tired. She felt herself drifting into sleep when she heard the door to the brig unlock and swing open. With a jolt, she sat up and peered forward.

Adama came in, Chief Tyrol followed in with a look of anxiety. Sharon felt her heart flip flop as she cast her gaze downward. She didn't want to see his face when he looked at her with hate, because surely, he would. Wouldn't he?

"Sharon, we have news for you, I don't think anyone has told you yet." Commander Adama spoke and Sharon blinked her eyes, but she still didn't look at them.

"I thought it best for the Chief to tell you, so..." Adama had cast his gaze to the two armed guards who were at either side of the cell.

"Let's give them a bit of privacy." Adama commanded more than suggested. The two guards stood at attention and with two "Yes sirs", they exited the cell with the Commander. When the door was shut, Sharon still didn't look up. Instead, she felt her eyes swelling up, she knew she'd cry even if she didn't want to.

"Sharon..." Galen began, but she still didn't look up. She heard him let out a sigh.

"Sharon." He spoke her name again as he took a few steps forward and he crouched down so he was lower than her.

"I'm sorry, Chief..." Her words were broken. She was broken. It frightened him to hear her sound like this. Everything flashed in his eyes.

Her body, her skin against his own. The sound of her moans, the look of love in her eyes. He remembered the look of fear she had when she was scared about being a Cylon and he'd told her she must be being framed. He remembered the pain and sorrow in her eyes when he went to the medbay after she'd tried killing herself.

"You're a Cylon..." He had said it bluntly although he hadn't meant to say it at all.

"I know and that's what I'm sorry for. I... I didn't even know. " she explained with a weak voice. She heard Galen take a deep, shaky breath.

"There is some human in you though." He finally said. That caught her attention. She brought her downcast eyes up to meet his.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say." She admitted. There was hope in his eyes. It didn't seem like the right emotion to her, but she waited for him to speak before she said anything else. The Chief's eyes went to her stomach and he brought his hand up to rest where his eyes gazed.

"My child... Our child is right there." He told her and her heart picked up.

"Our child?" She questioned with confusion in her voice.

"When you left, doctor Cottle had gone to tell you, but you were gone. Your pregnant Sharon, we're pregnant." It sounded weird coming out of his mouth. She shook her head.

"No, I can't be, I'm a machine, machines don't have babies." She tried to rationalize it. Galen couldn't help his smile now that he really thought about it. His child, with Sharon, was right there. He caressed her stomach with his thumb.

"I don't know how it works, but I wouldn't lie to you about it, look at me, Sharon." He spoke boldly and grabbed her chin with his other hand to force her to look at him.

"We're having a baby. Together. I'm not leaving you alone in this. I promise." He told her. He should hate her. She should disgust him, but instead, he felt himself getting excited. He'd always loved her.

He had always wanted a family with her. Now they would. Even if a lot of things were screwed up, even if she was a Cylon, they were going to be a family.

_~Subdued~_

"I don't know what to do." Adama admitted as he looked at the red-headed woman in the brig.

"A lot of people want her dead, but she could provide useful information about the Cylons to us." Adama explained.

"Well I don't know Commander, after all, you saw me unfit as the president and now you're coming to me with your problems? Why don't you just declare martial law and figure it out yourself?" Roslin wasn't in the greatest of moods. Her head was killing her. She felt shaky, she needed chamalla extract, the withdrawal was terrible. Adama sighed.

"You sent my finest pilot on a rogue mission against my orders." Adama told her. Roslin gave him a look of disbelief.

"Has it ever occurred to you that under the written law, you don't give me orders? Your supposed to back the government and so I did what I had to." She rebuked. A stern look came across the Commander's face.

"On the whim of some religious mumbo jumbo! You had no right to-!" He was saying, but was cut off.

"You have no right to hold me here Commander." She interrupted. Adama blinked in frustration.

"You had no right to take Kara away from me and send her to die!" Adama bit out. Roslin was slightly taken aback. There was emotion in his voice, it reminded her of when Adama and his son held up the fleet just to rescue the hotshot pilot.

"Just because she was going to marry your-." She began, but this time, she was interrupted.

"It's more than that! She's like a daughter to me, you took my little girl!" Adama spoke up. Roslin closed her mouth, unsure of what to say.

"How would you feel if I sent Billy on a suicide mission? Would you be happy with that?" Adama questioned, letting his feelings get the better of him. Laura cast her eyes downward, at the metal flooring that had thousands of tiny little, textured grooves that stuck out of it with its design.

"I promise you, that I will find earth when she returns with the arrow." Laura said. Adama grimaced.

"You're so sure of yourself, you know where that gets you? Not even six feet under anymore because we don't have a planet to bury our people on." Adama said with a trace of bitterness to his voice.

"Commander, I assure you, that I know what I'm doing." She told him. Adama pressed his lips together in a thin line before he turned around and left without a word more.

_~equivocator~_

The sound of many feet pattering hadn't caught the attention of the so-called brilliant scientist. The one and only, the amazing Cylon intelligence force. It was him, all him, maybe a little bit of Gaeta helping from time to time. He was the main face of it though.

He was going through blood tests, still. He had his years cut out for him, but either way, at very least, he was left to his own devices most of the time. The loud banging at his vault-like door had shocked him. Looking at the clock, he was wondering why anyone was bothering him right about now. It wasn't late, but it wasn't early either. He stood up, annoyance exuding from him from the notion of being disturbed. He stomped to the door, something like a child throwing a tantrum and he called out before answering.

"Who is it?" He questioned. He dare not open the door without asking, lest he gets killed by some Cylon assassin.

"We have been ordered to take you into custody by the Commander, open the door or we will have to force entry." Sounded the voice from the other side. Gaius frowned at that. Already, he was sweating. What was this all about? Why was he being taken into custody?

'Maybe they know Gaius.' The feminine voice that spoke was all too familiar to him.

"No... But they figured that all out with you... With Shelly Godfrey." Gaius muttered worriedly.

'Well you better open it, Gaius, I don't think that they want to be kept waiting.' There was a sarcasm to her voice that made it all feel like some horrible joke even more so to Gaius.

_~Vindictive Resolve~_

Cally had been trying to find out what happened all day. After Lee took the Chief to be questioned, she hadn't seen him again at all. It was getting closer to night-time.

She was working on a raptor. She was stripping off bent metal that she would bang back into place before getting it back on the old bird. She heard some of the other knuckle-draggers walking in.

"Hey, any word on the Chief?" She quipped real quick, hoping that someone knew where he had gone. The two men, clad in orange jumpsuits stared at her for a second. Like they almost couldn't believe their ears.

"I don't know, probably in the brig? Everyone's saying he's a Cylon too." One replied. Cally felt fear grip the depths of her soul, and to mask it, anger raged through her body. She threw the sheet of metal that she was working on down, hard, making it bang loudly against the floor.

"Are you guys frakking kidding me!? We know the Chief, he is not a Cylon!" She let the words rip out of her, angrily, venomously.

"Look, Cally, everyone's upset, okay? Not just you, all of us. You think we're happy to be played by a mother frakkin' toaster?" The other let out as he crossed his arms. He, like many others, had mixed feelings about the whole situation.

"That bitch seduced him! I'm telling you guys, he didn't know anything!" She was so positive. She knew the Chief was a human, she knew it.

"Well, you know what Cally, it's that little bitches fault that he's down there, so why don't you stop yelling at us and go see her or you can get back to work like the rest of us." The first stated before he waved her off and went back to what he came here for. Cally glared at nothing in particular. She walked the few steps to where she had thrown the metal and she crouched down to it before she picked it up, gingerly, in her hands. She closed her eyes for a moment as her hands clenched against the sharp metal. She wouldn't get cut from in though, she had worn thick, protective work gloves for this job. She snapped back up with a surety in her eyes. She would do something

She'd bang out this damn raptor plate, put the frakking thing back on, and then she was damn well gonna do something. Anything.

_~Apprehension... Disconcertion... Gratification...~_

"And even peeing more often is normal, but if you think its more unusual than that, you can always request to see me." Doctor Cottle smiled as he pulled a paper pack of smokes out of his pocket. He fingered the opening, pulling out three, but then he corrected it to one and shoved the others back in.

"What about an injury? Will that harm my baby?" Sharon started as she brought a hand up to her gauzed up cheek. The doctor shook his head.

"Your cheek will heal in due time, but your gonna have one hell of a scar." He explained. Sharon nodded as he spoke.

"Well, I'll let you folks have at it for a moment before the marines get back, I'm sure you'd appreciate it." He said before he took a deep drag as he turned around and headed out of the cell. He promptly closed it before heading out of the room.

Galen turned to Sharon. Her eyes were puffy, like she was going to cry again. Galen's eyes narrowed as his forehead bunched together.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I know your upset, but we'll get through this." He said as he brought a hand to her uninjured cheek.

"No, it's not. I'm a frakking Cylon! I can't be trusted, Galen!" She let out, her anger finally catching up to her. He watched her with wide eyes. He couldn't deny to her what she was saying.

"I should die, someone needs to kill me, can't you understand that?" She was so terrified of herself. What happened the next time she tried to kill someone? Only her death would give her true peace.

"No! Sharon!?" The look of hurt in his eyes was real.

"Don't you dare talk that way. Do you know what this all means for me? Do you think good things are coming my way now? Do you?" He questioned her, his own anger fuelling him.

"I really want to hate you, I should hate you, for being a toaster, but..." His voice softened as he gazed at her.

"You're my Sharon. Your Boomer." He said.

"And we're not gonna let those other toasters take that away. They want to make you think your human? Then damnit, you'll be a frakking human!" Tyrol's voice rose with each word. He stared at her, seeing her look downwards, looking guilty.

"We're gonna fight this together." He finally said with a gentle voice.

"But to do that, Sharon..." He hooked a finger under her chin and tempted her to look at him with the nudge of his hand. She did as he wanted, she stared at the genuine emotion beheld in his eyes.

"I can't let you get hurt, you can't hurt yourself either. Think of our kid, Sharon." His hand found her stomach where he gently rubbed with admiration. She felt miserable at all of this, but she let out a shaky breath.

"I won't do anything, just... Don't let me hurt anyone." She finally said, it was quiet, barely said, but he heard it from his close proximity. He nodded at her.

"I won't let you out of my sight, as much as that's possible." He stated. Sharon frowned as she thought. Nothing good would come of all this.


End file.
